LOCAL ace Althea Martirez hopes to ride the momentum of her two-title run in Roxas City when she goes for another double win while Drixcyn Guillano tries to rebound from a failed bid last week in the PPS-PEPP MCF Global national age-group tournament starting today at the LaPaz tennis courts in Iloilo City.
Martirez, of Central Phl U, will face practically the same field she bested in the girls’ singles 16 and 18-under divisions in Roxas City plus a number of new faces aiming to steal the spotlight in the Group I tournament presented by Mayor Jerry Trenas in partnership with the MCF Global and Mac’s Crankit Foundation.
They include Avril Suace, Rissa Cubos, Stephanie Crisosto, Petrina Aguirre and Crystal Ojaldon, with Aguirre bannering the 14-U section that also lured Aleeva Suace, Jasmine Jaran and Dolores Hofilena, with Queen Villa and Lourraine Jallorina joining Aleeva Suace and Hofilena in the 12-U category.
Foiled by Kendrick Bona, a Mac’s Crankit-MCF Global protégé, in Roxas City, Guillano is going all-out for a big comeback, eyeing to sweep the boys’ 16 and 18-U titles in the five-day event presented by Dunlop, which also serves as part of the countrywide talent search put up by Palawan Pawnshop headed by president-CEO Bobby Castro.
Out to stop Guillano are Rewel Justiniani, Joshua Raymundo, Roger Lamparero and Roxas City leg winner Nikhel Nowlakha with Bona also setting out to score a repeat in 16-U play that also features Gerald Gemida, Elemar Sealza, Angelo Mejia, Raymundo and Lamparero.